Houston man’s I-10 walk leads to shoe giveaway for Katy kids

Andrew Zamarippas’ long walk on I-10 ended with a far more practical payoff for Katy families: nearly 100 children left Dick’s Sporting Goods with free shoes on Friday.

Zamarippas called the effort the I-10 Iron Kids Walk, a trip that stretched from Houston to San Antonio and back through one of the hottest stretches of the season. He pushed a wagon loaded with a generator, food, water and the supplies he needed to keep moving, turning the journey into both a test of endurance and a fundraiser built around a specific local need.

That need was simple and immediate. Children in Katy received shoes they could wear for sports or everyday use, a small but meaningful expense for families already balancing the cost of school gear, clothing and other essentials. In a county as large as Harris County, where needs can vary block by block, the giveaway filled a gap that community members and local businesses often step in to cover when household budgets come up short.

The effort also carried a harder edge than a typical feel-good story. Zamarippas said he collapsed from dehydration in Seguin before finishing the journey, a reminder that the miles he covered came with real physical risk. Even so, he finished the walk and brought that energy to Katy, where skepticism at the corporate level gave way to cooperation once the scale of the giveaway became clear.

By the time the shoes were handed out, the event had become less about one man’s challenge than about a chain of support connecting Houston, Seguin, San Antonio and Katy. Families in Katy benefited directly, but the wider lesson reached beyond one store and one day: a determined resident can convert a grueling public effort into something tangible for children who need help now.

Zamarippas said he plans to do another giveaway in the future, keeping the focus on local families rather than a one-time stunt. For Harris County residents who want to help similar families, donations of new shoes or money to school partners and local nonprofits can go directly toward children who need everyday footwear and athletic shoes without delay.